Nagasaki: Japanese-born great figure in Taiwan’s history honored at new shrine in his hometown

HIRADO, Nagasaki – A rebuilt shrine dedicated to Zheng Chenggong (1624-62), revered as a hero in Taiwan for his role in liberating the island from Dutch rule in the 17th century, was recently completed in his hometown of Hirado , Nagasaki Prefecture.

Zheng was born to a Hirado-based Chinese merchant and a Japanese woman. His father took him to China when he was seven years old. A part of Zheng’s childhood home is one of the memories of his life left in Hirado.

Zheng fought the Manchurian-led Qing dynasty in an attempt to restore the dying Ming dynasty, using conquered Taiwan as a base for the battle.

In 1962, a shrine was built near his residence in cooperation with Taiwan, but its condition deteriorated over time. The new shrine was built on his birthplace. Zheng’s statue and other items were moved from the old facility to the new one.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Zheng’s birth, and the local community plans to hold an event in July and invite his descendants from Taiwan. A symposium with experts from Japan and Taiwan will also take place in August.